


fighting for nothing

by checkmateslash



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Frottage, M/M, almost established relationship, i isolated them because i'm trash, klance gets trapped on the other side of a wormhole, klangst, lots of sand, sad sex, takes place season 3, this is just a lot of angst and arguing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:19:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/checkmateslash/pseuds/checkmateslash
Summary: “I hate you,” he whispered, and Keith’s pretty sure that Lance meant it.Even knowing that, Keith wiped away the sand stuck to Lance’s face with his thumb, swallowing thickly as Lance avoided looking at him. “I’m sorry.” His throat was thick with tears, and gravelly from trying to ration their water. “I love you.” He meant it but somehow it still sounded hollow.“Then be with me.” Lance pleaded, and Keith had wished Lance would look at him before but now it felt like too much to handle, like the color of Lance’s eyes was the high tide pulling him out to sea and drowning him.





	fighting for nothing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yuisaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuisaki/gifts).



> an early birthday present question mark

The color of the sky was cat vomit pink, which would’ve been unappealing if it weren’t for the bright blue water reaching off into the horizon to break the color. Instead, it was extra specially unappealing, because Keith had always hated water and now, he was staring out at the open abyss on the beach of some planet whose hues were too bright, stuck on the other side of a  _ fucking wormhole,  _ and Lance was doing absolutely nothing to help. He was splashing in the water in his underwear, playing in the waves as Keith moped with his arms crossed stubbornly and  _ didn’t  _ sit in the sand. He  _ knew  _ he was going to get sand everywhere he didn’t want it, and while the terror of never seeing the rest of the paladins ever again sunk in, some part of him was… weirdly relieved? He was glad that he had a moment of respite from the pressure, even if he should probably be the first to suggest they need to find some way to contact the others. Lance seemed unconcerned; in fact, he looked really close to diving into the waves and never coming out - Keith suspected it had to do with the water planet Lance and Hunk had landed on last time that had supposedly had mermaids. Mermaids that  _ kissed  _ Lance. Jealousy clawed at his insides, but he tamed it as Lance breached from the waves, spinning around to smile at him and  _ god,  _ if Lance’s smile didn’t light up Keith’s world like fireworks on the Fourth of July then Keith didn’t know what did. 

 

“I think I made some friends.” Lance smiled sheepishly as he emerged, green sand sticking to his feet as he waddled his way over to Keith. 

 

“Friends?” 

 

As if on cue, Lance was turning to show Keith all of the small purple creatures that had attached themselves to him, and Keith groaned in irritation - in worry? - as he gripped Lance’s arm to spin him around and inspect the odd octopus-like aliens clinging to him. “Goddamnit, Lance. What if they’re poisonous?” He was almost shrieking but he wouldn’t admit it later, and he tugged at one but it didn’t release it’s grip. 

 

“I feel fine, Keith. Don’t have a crap attack.” Lance gently tugged on one of the little creatures, pursing his lips in thought as he stared down at the one on his bicep as if it were just a bruise he didn’t know the origin of.

 

“I’ll have as much of a crap attack as I want.” Keith hissed, planting a foot on Lance’s thigh as he tugged and yet it still didn’t release. Lance yelped, swatting Keith away. 

 

“Well they’re  _ definitely  _ not going to let go if you’re mean about it.” And then, as if he were an alien whisperer, he tickled it’s side and muttered, “Come on, friend. You gotta go back in the ocean before you dry out,” and like magic it popped off, leaving red and purple suction marks on Lance’s skin in it’s wake as he threw it out into the waves. “See? Try it.” Keith grunted, frown prominent on his lips as he tickled one of the little purple aliens on its sides and felt it come loose into his hand, and he threw it back out into the waves with a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

 

“Okay… they’re kind of cute,” he admitted, and Lance grinned. 

 

“Now get off the ones on my back!” He turned, and even with the little tentacled creatures clinging to him Keith’s eyes roamed over the muscles in Lance’s shoulders and back, and he tried not to blush when Lance glanced over his shoulder to look at him curiously. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he teased, smirk devious. 

 

Keith rolled his eyes, ignoring the flush on his cheeks. “I have enough pictures.” 

 

“You can never have enough pictures.” Keith didn't say he agreed, but he did. He remained quiet as he got the rest of the octoaliens off, sighing and stepping away from Lance as the other boy felt around his back as if he didn't trust Keith to have gotten them all off. “Thanks.” If there was anything that Keith had learned about Lance in the time they had been in Voltron it was that the smirk that appeared on his face meant no good. 

 

“Stop looking at me with that face.” He grumbled, and Lance pouted at him. 

 

“What face?” Lance reached out to him, hand trailing down his suited chest and fingers hooking into the utility belt at his waist. 

 

“ _ That  _ face. The same face you always make whenever we’re alone.” Keith gripped Lance’s wrist, rough until Lance let go and rubbed the Indian burn on his skin. Even if Lance said nothing, his face was an open book and Keith could read the disappointment in his expression. “I know. I  _ know, _ but we talked about this and I can't, alright?” 

 

“ _ We  _ didn't talk about it.  _ You  _ talked at me and didn't listen to a word I was saying back.” Lance jabbed a finger into Keith’s chest, and Keith slapped it away, temper flaring. 

 

“It's not a good time. Shiro is gone and we still have to save the rest of space and who even knows what will have happened to Earth by the time we’ve gotten there. I just can't think about it, it’s not a good time-” 

 

“There will  _ never _ be a good time, Keith.” Lance’s voice cracked, and he was quick to clear his throat, as if it would help. “Does this have to do with-” 

 

“ _ Don't.” _ Keith warned, and Lance stared at him with sad, watery eyes. On the twilit beach his eyes shined with the reflection of the water and the dulling light. Lance took a deep breath, reaching for Keith one more time, but when Keith didn’t respond he let his arm drop to his side. “Let’s just… focus on finding some provisions, hopefully the lions will be responding by tomorrow.” 

 

Even though they obviously needed space, neither of them thought it a good idea to wander around alone, so they searched for food and what appeared to be fresh water as the sun set, and by the time the moon was high in the sky and both of them had food in their stomachs, they were feeling a little better. Keith still seemed worried, but Lance remained quiet, not wanting to disrupt the careful peace that had come over their campfire. They settled down on the beach, far enough away from the high tide. While wandering they hadn’t come across anyone they could communicate with; no “intelligent” species, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t  _ anyone  _ there, and Lance found that he couldn’t sleep, even with the ocean waves reminding him of home and Keith’s even breathing next to him. He was jealous of Keith’s ability to sleep wherever whenever, memories of Keith falling asleep on his lap during a particularly boring culture brief flooding his brain. He smiled, reminiscing for only a moment before shoving the thought out. He shouldn’t think about it. 

 

At some point he finally fell asleep, but was promptly woken up with a kick to the gut, and he groaned in complaint as he shoved Keith with his own foot. Keith darted up, knife drawing faster from his sheath than Lance had ever seen him do in battle before he relaxed, finding he wasn’t in any immediate danger, and slouched. 

 

“Stop kicking me in your sleep,” Lance grouched. Keith put his knife away, lying back down and not offering any apology.

 

“Stop sleeping so close, then.” The silence was thick, and Lance stared at Keith’s back with tears welling into his eyes before pushing himself to his feet. “Lance, wait-.” Keith grabbed his hand, pulling him back down to the cool sand. Lance turned his face away, even when Keith rubbed his shoulder; “ _ Lance,”  _ he coaxed. Lance clenched his fists at his sides. “I’m sorry, okay? I just… look at me, please.” 

 

Lance turned his head to face Keith, but even the lost, desperate expression on the Red Paladin’s face wasn’t enough to stop Lance’s fist colliding with his cheek. The sound seemed to resound over the empty beach, and they both sat in silence until they were on each other, fists flying and grappling in the sand. One of Keith’s knees dug into Lance’s gut, but with the way he quickly moved it it was probably more accidental than anything else, but Lance was still retaliating by slapping blindly and landing another blow on Keith’s face as Keith fought to restrain his long, flailing limbs. It went on until Keith was on top, Lance’s hands gripping Keith’s hair and Keith’s hands around Lance’s neck. Anyone could tell Keith wasn’t putting effort into it, and Lance tugged harder at Keith’s hair, feeling Keith’s hands tighten around his neck in response, but as soon as Lance let up so did Keith. The tears that had long since been pushed back started pricking at the corners of Lance’s eyes again, and he tugged yet harder at Keith’s hair. When Keith’s grip on his neck didn’t tighten he gripped even harder, gasps leaving his chest as Keith groaned, hands moving from Lance’s neck to his wrists. 

 

“Let  _ go. _ ” Even with clawing at Lance’s skin he wouldn’t let go, even with sobs wracking his whole body he wouldn’t let go, until it was too much and he had to roll over onto his side to catch his breath, still crying and hands rooted into his own hair this time. Keith sighed, blinking back his own tears and feeling  _ lostlostlost _ as he stared down at Lance, not knowing what to do.  _ Shiro  _ would know what do, but that thought only made Keith feel worse, because not only were Shiro not here  _ right now  _ but they hadn’t seen him for probably months. There was no asking him about it later, or possibly ever. 

 

“Hey…” His voice broke as he nudged Lance’s shoulder so that the Blue Paladin was on his back again, sand sticking to his face where his tears had fallen. His first mission was to get Lance to release his grip on his hair as he heaved for breath; he pried Lance’s hands from his hair and held them in his own. Lance’s grip was tight and painful, but Keith only grimaced once. “Breathe, slow. Watch me, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth.” Lance nodded, and when Keith began to take slow breaths Lance attempted to follow, taking a few moments for his breathing to calm down and match Keith’s pace, his grip relinquishing on Keith’s hands. Still though, neither of them let go, Keith’s thumb caressing the back of Lance’s hand as Lance cried silent tears. 

 

“I hate you,” he whispered, and Keith’s pretty sure that Lance meant it. 

 

Even knowing that, Keith wiped away the sand stuck to Lance’s face with his thumb, swallowing thickly as Lance avoided looking at him. “I’m sorry.” His throat was thick with tears, and gravelly from trying to ration their water. “I love you.” He meant it but somehow it still sounded hollow. 

 

“Then  _ be with me. _ ” Lance pleaded, and Keith had wished Lance would look at him before but now it felt like too much to handle, like the color of Lance’s eyes was the high tide pulling him out to sea and drowning him. When he didn’t respond right away Lance tore his hands away, and they floated in the air indecisively, unsure of where to go or what to do. Keith’s hands planted themselves on Lance’s stomach, over the jagged scar he knew was there; over the scar that was there because of him. His nails dug into the fabric of the flight suit - too thick for Lance to feel them - and yet Lance’s hands covered Keith’s anyways. There’d been so much blood; all over Lance’s flight suit, all over Keith’s hands as he tried to stop the bleeding, all over the floor. Explosions, Keith shaking, Lance’s eyes losing focus - he’d been  _ dead  _ for two minutes before they were able to bring him back and put him in the healing pod.  _ Two minutes.  _

 

“Keith. Hey.” Lance’s voice snapped Keith out of his thoughts, and he blinked away the fat, heavy tears in his eyes, watching them land on his and Lance’s intertwined fingers. 

 

“I don’t want to lose you.” The tightness in his throat pitched him up an octave. “I don’t think I can handle losing anyone else and I-” 

 

“You’re not going to lose me, Keith.” Lance squeezed his hands, voice pleading. 

 

“I lost you once already.” Lance’s mouth snapped shut. “All because I ran in there thinking I could fix everything-”

 

“That  _ wasn’t  _ your fault.” Lance cut him off again, and Keith’s grip on Lance’s hands tightened. 

 

“And I just can’t help but think that one day I’m going to mess up again and it can’t be fixed, and I don’t-. I don’t know if I’m ready to be with you like that and then deal with losing you.” Keith sniffed, letting go of Lance’s hand to wipe the tears away from his face. Lance looked at a loss of what to say, unable to offer any words as he reached for Keith’s arms and tugged the Red Paladin down to hug him to his chest. He didn’t say that it was probably too late; regardless of how Keith was trying to logic his way out of this they were already in too deep. Keith would still remember Lance’s favorite song, and the way he licks the frosting off of Hunk’s castlemade Oreo’s before eating the cookies, and that one time Red got sick of Lance’s jokes and had ejected him from the cockpit and Keith had picked him up so they could have sex in Black’s hangar. 

 

Lance could feel Keith’s tears on his neck, and he soothingly brushed a hand through his hair, half in comfort and half an apology for nearly tearing it out earlier. Then, he could feel Keith’s lips on his skin, feather light and ticklish, and he shrugged Keith off of him with a huff of laughter, smile shaky as their eyes met. Keith’s head bent towards him and Lance met him halfway, warmth spreading through his body as their lips slotted together. 

 

It was messy, all emotion and no finesse as their tongues intertwined and hips brushed together. Desperate, Lance removed his hands from Keith’s hair and pulled away to look down, tugging the utility belt off of Keith’s torso and throwing it aside. Keith took the hint and did the same, scrambling and fumbling with shaky hands to get the belt off of Lance’s waist, which he still hadn’t done when Lance leaned up on his elbows to kiss him again. After taking a moment too long, with Keith getting distracted by Lance’s tongue in his mouth, Lance took it upon himself to get his own belt undone, and the millisecond it fell open to the sand he brushed his hips up into Keith’s. 

 

Keith hiked a leg up to Lance’s hip before grinding down, sending a moan out of both of them. He could feel Lance’s hardness against his own and he searched for the friction again, lips moving from Lance’s over his jaw and down to his neck. One of Lance’s hands grabbed his ass, prompting the grinding faster as he panted for breath, whimpering as Keith’s teeth bit down to leave a mark on his neck. 

 

“Keith,” Lance breathed, trying to nudge Keith’s face up so that he could look at him, but Keith wouldn’t oblige, lips and tongue assaulting his neck in a way that Lance knew would be visible tomorrow. The sound of the waves was loud in Lance’s ears, or maybe it was the blood rushing through his body, breath heavy as chills rolled down his spine. 

 

Keith was particularly quiet, the only reason Lance was able to tell he came was from his body tensing and collapsing on top of Lance, and Lance held tight to him as he chased his own orgasm, mouth falling open and gasping loud as wet warmth spread between them. 

 

They lay there like that, quiet, until Keith sniffed and removed himself from Lance’s chest, wiping his eyes. Lance was about to ask what was wrong when Keith flipped off of him, taking a deep breath as he sat next to Lance. The loss of Keith’s body heat made Lance feel cold inside and out, and he turned onto his side away from Keith to stare into the dying fire; how many times had he cried today? He wasn’t sure, but it was definitely too many, considering he was crying again. Keith placed a hand on his arm, but when Lance didn’t respond he seemed to give up immediately, the warmth of his hand gone and the warmth of their memories going with it. 

 

“I’ll wait for you.” Lance couldn’t see Keith’s expression, but it was probably for the best. “You’re not going to lose me, and I’ll wait for you. No matter how long it takes.” 

 

He could hear Keith shuffle, hear the deep breath he let out, and then Keith was settling down behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Lance’s breath shook, but he still intertwined his fingers with Keith’s. The sound of the waves crashing up on the shore filled their ears, a murmur of unspoken promises, lulling them to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> come yell about klance w/ me on tumblr @ dwreed ! c:


End file.
